Rebirth
by belowtheprecipice
Summary: The Dark Side of the Force was a pathway to many abilities some considered to be unnatural. And that's exactly what Rey needed. Rey won't let the Force take Ben from her so easily. (TROS Fix-It in two parts)
1. Part One

I

Rey had a project. While Poe and Finn were taking the lead in finding a planet for the three of them to settle down on, Rey was busy. She had travelled to Tatooine with a plan about what to fix and how to do it.

She first fixed the Lars moisture farm. Clear out the sand, patch up the weak spots, repair the damage caused by fire. Over the course of thirty years, so much sand had piled into the farm that Rey needed to use the Force to uncover the lower levels. Once she had cleared the way, she got to making repairs. A scavenger like Rey had no trouble finding bits and pieces scattered in the sand and figuring out where they had once belonged. BB-8 was also a great help, and it turned out that he enjoyed tidying up with Rey.

The Skywalker family had made a life here. Three generations had lived on the Lars moisture farm and it showed once Rey uncovered handmade blankets, clothes waiting to be folded, and models of Rebellion ships. The water system still worked in the home, and Rey poured herself a large glass to drink while she sat in the sand and stared at the sunset.

It felt the same as Jakku. It all felt different.

The first night, she curled up on what must've been Luke's old bed and slipped into a dreamless sleep. She hadn't dreamed since Exegol.

The second night, she simply fell asleep on a couch when she became too tired looking at old holos. Again, she didn't dream.

By the third night, Rey laid in Luke's old bed, throwing her mind out into the Force in an attempt to dream something, anything. There were no visions, no memories, not even a lighthearted dream of Finn or Rose arm-wresting C-3PO.

Rey was trying to fix her mind. Or maybe her soul.

She was having trouble with both those days.

Hence the exile to Tatooine.

Poe and Finn tried to join her. Rose had privately offered to keep her company. Even Chewie insisted she not go alone. Ultimately, she settled for taking BB-8 under the condition she bring him back without a single bent antennae. There was a collective sigh of relief when everyone realized Rey would have some sort of companionship.

Rey didn't know how to convey to him that she had always felt alone since Exegol. No matter how full the room, no matter how much love surrounded her, Rey felt like she was hollow. Like something was missing.

She hoped to fix that, too.

II

Rey didn't mind sand. She had grown up with a healthy layer of it on her at all points in the day. Water was scarce on Jakku, so she learned to take sand baths. As a child, she drew in the sand when she couldn't find anything else. She could build with sand, and she frequently needed to fix her former home as the AT-AT began to rot.

But as she stared out over the endless sea of sand that was Tatooine, she realized how much she would hate to live out her life there. It was no wonder that Luke had left, just like his father before him. There was so much more to the galaxy than sand, and once the purpose of this exile was over, she was ready to settle down somewhere with water and rain and then travel to every corner of the galaxy with her friends.

She couldn't do that without fixing everything, though.

Rey sat at the kitchen table and skimmed through one of the sacred texts as she ate a dinner from her ship. The text was old and rotting from being confined to their tree on Ahch-To. Even if the pages were pristine, she would still have to contend with the scrawled handwriting and bits that were scratched out and scribbled over.

It didn't help that the book was Sith. While written in Basic, the entire text felt wrong. Reading it made Rey remember Exegol, how cold and unnatural it all felt. She shoved aside that feeling, because she needed unnatural. She needed what the Jedi couldn't give her.

While she was the legacy of all Jedi, she had also killed Palpatine. He had wanted that, yes, but it hadn't gone according to his plan. Rey didn't share a body or a mind with him, but she had inherited the Sith. She felt balanced having two legacies in her. So, with that, Rey felt it was entirely appropriate to flirt with one legacy in order to honor the other.

She also didn't entirely care if she upset the Jedi. Or the Sith. Or the entirety of the Force.

Rey was going to bring Ben home.

The idea had come to her a few nights after Exegol. Rey had spent the day celebrating with the Resistance and planning a future with Poe and Finn, and she had been truly happy. The joy she felt wasn't faked at all, and she desperately wanted to run away with her friends and enjoy a life as normal as she could find.

But the moment she returned to her chambers, she collapsed to the floor, same as she had done every night before. Sobs racked her chest as she crawled into her bed and slipped Ben's shirt over herself. She was hurt in a way that went deeper than a physical pain. Something was wrong with her. Something was wrong with the Force.

As she sobbed and held her pillow close to her chest, the same thought ran through her mind, just as it had since the moment Ben had died.

_How dare the Force take him? _

The Force had taken him when they had only been given such a small time together. They only ever had duels or stolen, tender moments through the Force. They deserved more. She deserved more.

And so, when Rey spotted the Sith texts in the moonlight, seemingly perfectly placed to catch her attention when she needed an answer, she understood what she needed to do.

Rey knew she and Ben had been more than Jedi, more than Sith. She wouldn't let herself be bound by their laws.

"You can't keep him," Rey hissed through her tears.

The idea quickly took hold, and it took a week to plan it. Where would she perform such a ritual? How would she explain her absence? What could she do to protect herself and Ben's soul? What would she do in case something went wrong?

What would she do in case it all went right?

She told her plan to no one. When she announced she was leaving for Tatooine, everyone assumed she was privately paying her respects to Luke and Leia. Which, admittedly, was part of it. Burying lightsabers was a lovely memorial, but saving Ben Solo once and for all would be much better.

Rey hadn't told anyone in the Resistance about what happened on Exegol. Finn and Poe were under the belief that Ben had drowned in the ruins of the Death Star. Rose, who Rey always knew was more clever than anyone in the Resistance gave credit, had approached Rey in a much more private matter.

"What happened to Kylo?" Rose asked one night as she sat on the corner of Rey's bed. Rey's heart hammered. Had she seen Ben's shirt? His cloak? Maybe she had just put everything together. Maybe she was about to unload the shame of the entire Resistance onto Rey. How could she have fallen for Kylo Ren, a monster?

"I just remember how you spoke about your bond. How hurt you sounded when he betrayed you. And I figured… you know…" Rose said, trying to be delicate.

And then, Rey realized that Rose was just being a good friend.

"I'm not… I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it," Rey admitted. Rose smiled and took her hand. Her smile spoke volumes toward her understanding of grief.

"That's okay. I'm here if you ever are."

Rey vowed that after her exile, she would become better friends with Rose. If everything worked, Rose could be the only friend who would listen to Rey.

She still remembered the way Finn had recoiled when she told him about their connection through the Force. His disgust was so clear that she hadn't begun to explain what exactly those moments of connection meant to her. Really, she couldn't blame him. Finn and Poe and Rose all only knew him as Kylo Ren or, even worse, Supreme Leader Ren.

Rey knew Ben Solo. She loved Ben Solo. And he was who Rey was bringing back.

III

At dawn on the fourth morning of her exile, Rey meditated. Mediation was always a difficult task for Rey, but that morning she was determined.

On Exegol, she had finally heard every Jedi who came before her.

She needed to feel their presence again.

Rey stepped into the center of the farm and settled into a comfortable position. Morning on Tatooine was cool, which was radically different from the constant heat of Jakku. Ben's cape was draped over her shoulders. She had discovered it on the ship he'd used to find her on Exegol. It was difficult for her to go through the ship and realize that the only things she had of Ben's were his clothes he left behind and his cape. But it was enough. It would have to be enough.

Rey unspooled her mind and reached out into the Force. There was a balance to her now that she had killed Palpatine, but that wasn't enough to bring her peace. Not when Ben was dead.

"Be with me."

As her consciousness expanded through the Force, she felt the energy of every Jedi ever born brush against her. Their touch felt like a comforting hand on the shoulder, helping her through her grief. They didn't say anything, but they let her know they were there. She didn't want to talk to any of them, anyways. They might know what she was up to and try to stop her.

There was one particular presence she was looking for. Rey didn't know what she would do if she found Ben and managed to communicate with him. Every morning she would seek him out and every morning she would find every Jedi she didn't care to talk to. It didn't matter, really. She was going to bring him back regardless of if she found him or not.

_Be with me, Ben. _

Rey just wanted desperately to talk to Ben, even if for a moment. There was so much she hadn't been able to say, and there was a chance that the ritual might not work.

She reached out as far as she could, asking a question over and over.

_Where are you, Ben? _

Rey sat there for almost an hour, searching the cosmos for Ben Solo. It was hard for her to give up when Ben hadn't given up. He had dragged himself, broken and bleeding, back to Rey. He had brought her back from the dead.

The least she could do was return the favor.

Rey didn't remember much about being dead. All she remembered was a pain and then relief, like she'd never hurt again. She remembered nothing of what came after. And yet, even as she slipped away, she had been screaming Ben's name into the Force.

Then she was back and Ben was there, alive and perfect, holding her close.

Rey sighed and ended her mediation session. Keeping Ben's cloak wrapped tight around her, she went to finish setting up for the ritual.

There was nothing in the Sith texts to lead her in this ritual. The texts had explained two things. First, there was a way to bring him back, a way to find him in the Force. The second was that the emotions of the Dark side like love and passion were a way to hone her power into a weapon.

With that weapon, Rey would tear open the universe to get Ben back. And then she would shape that weapon into a tether and guide Ben back home.

She didn't exactly know what she was doing, but she hoped it would work. If Palpatine could come back from a pathway of hatred and fear, then she could bring Ben back through love and hope.

BB-8 chirped curiously around her legs as Rey hunted through the Lars farm for rocks and gems she could use for the ritual. When she let him know the general size she was looking for, he returned only a few moments later with dozens of options for her to pick and choose from.

He was truly the best droid.

Rey arranged the rocks and gems into a wide circle and set Ben's clothes into the center. She had taken everything from Exegol and stacked them neatly, but not before burying her face in his shirt. If this worked, she wouldn't have to cling to a memory so tightly. Once again, Rey draped his cloak over her shoulders.

BB-8 made a concerned noise.

"I'm going to try and find Ben," Rey said, shifting her position.

BB-8 made a distressed noise.

"I can explain everything that happened afterwards, but I need you to trust me."

The noise that came from BB-8 at that was somewhere between confused and disbelieving.

"Even if I can't find him, I'm sure I'll be fine. I need you to guard the perimeter, though. If anyone, _anyone_ shows up, you need to hold them back until I return back to my body. Even if it's Poe and Finn. Especially if it's an enemy. Just please do that for me, okay?"

BB-8 sounded like he wanted to blow a circuit, but instead, he rolled across the courtyard and watched.

Rey took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment of truth.

_Ben, I'm coming for you_.

And then Rey

left her

body

b

e

h

i

n

d

IV

Rey was floating. She was infinite and formless, as she moved among the stars, she felt the power of the Force become her very self. It was nothing she had ever felt before, nothing any Jedi before her had ever felt.

She thought briefly of Luke, dying by moving across the Galaxy to speak to Ben. Part of her wondered if she would meet the same fate.

Maybe she and Ben were doomed to keep dying for each other over and over again.

She let her consciousness expand, reaching out into every part of the Force. She was searching, leaving no part untouched.

Now, when she felt the presence of the Jedi of the past, they were trying to grab her. Trying to stop her. But she was too determined to stop. She couldn't.

Not until she got Ben back.

She dove deeper into the Force she'd ever gone before. Part of her was aware of her body, sprawled on the floor of the Lars farm. But she was nowhere near there. She was moving closer and closer to the furthest parts of the Force. Life pulsed around her. She was everywhere and nowhere. Everything that ever was and everything that would ever be was moving through her.

Or maybe she was moving through it. She wasn't a physical being. It was hard to tell.

The longer she stayed away from her body, the harder it would be to return. That rule was written in every text about both the Light and Dark side of the Force. Rey didn't care about that risk. She wouldn't leave until she found him.

_Ben _

_Ben_

_Ben_

_Ben, where are you? _

Rey thought of him. Of everything they had experienced. She remembered their bond, the one she had only reached out to him through once. Being connected to Ben was so natural, so seamless.

Palapatine had said they were a dyad. One soul. Two bodies.

She didn't know how long she had been away from hers. Maybe ten minutes, maybe ten years. Time seemed to stop as she moved through the Force.

But she and Ben were one. She could find him. All she needed to do was reach.

So she went deeper again.

The Jedi had stopped grabbing her. She was moving freely, but it was all so overwhelming. She had come to look for Ben, but she was becoming swallowed by the Force.

Ben was part of her soul. He had died to save her.

_Ben_

Where was her body? Where had she come from?

Where was Ben?

_Ben_

_Be with me, Ben._

Rey was drowning. This hadn't been a mistake, she wouldn't ever regret chasing Ben to the edge of existence, but she hadn't realized it would be like this. She didn't know she could become nothing.

Nothing.

Ben had once told her she wasn't nothing to him.

She reached out through their bond, screaming his name.

They were bonded in a way the Galaxy hadn't seen in recorded history. They had saved each other.

Was this what it had felt like when she was dead? Had Ben pulled her back from this?

She would pull both of them back from this.

She would find him.

If she could remember.

Who was she?

Who-

_Rey._

V

Ben's presence shot through Rey, and she remembered who she was.

_Ben_, she cried into the Force. She couldn't speak, not really. Her body was so far away.

_How did you find me? How did you get here?_ Ben asked, and Rey latched onto him like he was an oasis in an endless desert.

_I don't remember. I don't know_, she admitted.

_I'm dead, Rey, _Ben said, and it hurt Rey to hear.

_Maybe I am too. _

_Not if you leave this place_, Ben said. _And you can. I know you're strong enough._

Rey could only see stars, and she tried desperately to find Ben. Surely he must have a form. Luke and Leia had appeared in a form. She wanted to see him.

_Where are we? _Rey asked.

_I'm not sure. Somewhere between every layer of existence. Somewhere for the dead. Which is why you need to leave_, Ben begged, voice becoming frantic.

_I won't leave without you_, Rey insisted. _I came to find you. I came to bring you home. _

_That isn't possible_, Ben said.

_Trust me, Ben. We can do it. _

Ben didn't say anything for a moment, but Rey knew he was still with her. She could feel him. That is what had been missing from her mind, that is what had been paining her soul this entire time. Ben was a part of her. And all this time he had always been with her.

_Okay_, Ben said. _I trust you. _

_Where are you? I can't see you_, Rey said, again looking into the Force. She was met only with stars.

_I'm with you. Just go and I'll follow. I promise_, Ben said.

_I'm not sure I remember how to get back_, Rey said. _I can't remember where I came from._

_Just reach out. Like like you did to find me_.

_And you'll follow me?_

_I will follow you anywhere. _

So Rey reached. She felt her mind brush against Ben's as she threw it as far as it could go, searching for something to connect her to the world of the living. She was so far from where she had come, but being with Ben seemed to amplify her reach.

Further and further, Rey searched for a thread of connection. She was so close. She had come so far. She had found Ben.

All that was left to do was to bring him home.

Rey felt something: the barest connection in the Force. It was a crack that had almost been closed after she had gone to this deep and lost place.

_Let's go_, Rey said.

She took hold of that connection and pulled herself toward it, even though it seemed like the entirety of the Force was holding her back. But she had to lead Ben. They had to go home.

_I'm here. Just keep going. _

Rey pushed at the end of the deepest part of the Force. She could see the path back home but couldn't reach it.

So she did what every text had told her she could do: turned the Force into a weapon. Rey concentrated on their love and combined her power with Ben's and imagined it as a lightsaber, a blaster, any weapon at all.

And she used it against the Force itself.

There was a disturbance through the Force that rattled Rey to the core of her existence. Like it had been broken and ripped wide open just for her and Ben.

They rose together, right before the Force fused shut behind them.

_Don't look back, just keep going_, Ben said.

And she did.

They kept climbing, dragging themselves closer and closer to where Rey had come from. As Rey rose with Ben behind her, she remembered where she had left her body. She remembered that she even had a body.

She felt like she was reforming, like she was becoming more and more real as she brought Ben back. This was the most real she had ever felt.

She was Rey. Just Rey. And she had saved the Galaxy. He was Ben Solo. Kyo Ren. And he had saved her.

They were a dyad. The Force had made them as one.

And in one liberating moment, they were reborn as one.

VI

Rey awoke gasping. She was cold despite setting suns and trembling all over. BB-8 was screaming nearby, and Rey wanted to tell him she was alright, but she couldn't find her voice.

Someone squeezed her hand, holding on for dear life.

Ben.

Ben was next to her, looking just as he did the last time they were together. He was in shock, staring at Rey with disbelief clear on his face.

"Rey," he said, and Rey burst into tears. She rolled over to him and held him tight, never wanting to let go. Because he was real and alive and in her arms.

"Rey," he said again. Rey could hear he was crying, too.

They were alive.

They were alive and together.

VII

BB-8 had rolled off in a huff and was somewhere deep in the Lars home. She was sure that he was grappling with the programming dilemma if he should contact Poe about this or shock Ben and deal with it himself. Rey gave it a fifty-fifty choice for either option.

Ben and Rey made love under the setting suns. They were both inexperienced, but they were together and alive and couldn't stop smiling.

Rey had once been told that belonging lay ahead of her, not behind.

She found that belonging in Ben's arms.

Once it became too cold, they went inside and found a long-unused bed to climb into.

"I never imagined you coming for me," Ben said as he ran a hand through Rey's hair. It had been so long since she had last worn her hair down, but it felt perfect. Like she was finally happy and free.

"No one had ever come back for me," Rey said. "Except for you."

"So it was to get even?" Ben asked, and, before Rey could contradict him, he smiled.

That smile stopped Rey's heart, and she had to kiss him again.

"What do we do now?" Rey asked a few moments later.

"Do you want to stay here?" Ben asked. Rey shook her head.

"No. No, we're going to explore the Galaxy together. Poe and Finn are looking for a planet we can all settle down on. And then I'll take the _Falcon_ and we can roam as we please," Rey said.

"'All'?" Ben asked. His voice was small, fragile.

"I can't imagine a life without you. We'll go back together, and we can figure it all out. They'll warm up to you. I know it," Rey said.

Ben didn't look convinced, but he nodded. Up close, Rey could finally appreciate how beautiful he was.

"They'll love you, Ben. Just like I do," Rey said, and Ben couldn't hide his shock.

"What did you-?"

"I tore apart half of reality to find you. Of course I love you," Rey said. Ben's eyes welled up with tears, and Rey thought of how lovely it was to share her soul with Ben Solo, someone who cried with joy.

"I've loved you since Starkiller Base," Ben admitted in a rush, and Rey smiled.

"Invading each other's minds and cutting your face cut open. Very romantic," she said, and Ben laughed through his tears. And then she added, "You know I've loved you since that night in the cave. Maybe since before then. I'm not sure."

"It was messy," Ben said.

"Very."

For the first time in her life, Rey fell asleep in someone's arms. Ben didn't have to tell her, but she knew it was a first for him, too.

They fit like they were made to be together.

VII

There were some complications, though.

Over the next few days, Rey and ben both realized that Ben being dead for more than a few minutes meant that he had come back just a little different.

Ben was always cold. Regardless of how hot it was on Tatooine, his body never warmed. This concerned Rey until they both realized that it didn't affect him at all. He was just cold.

"This means we could move to a hot planet, now. I could personally keep you comfortable," Ben said, with a tone suggesting he had tried to make a joke somewhere. Rey laughed all the same, because she loved him. She also vowed to make sure he hung out with Poe and Finn so he could relearn how to make a joke.

Then they discovered that Ben could slip into the Force far too easily. Usually, one would need to meditate and find a calm before reaching out, but Ben could do it on command, regardless of what he was doing.

"I don't like this," Ben said. He was shaking as Rey helped him sit on a couch. BB-8 hissed in a corner but didn't leave the room, which was an improvement.

"I'm sure it's fine. You're just more in tune with the Force now," Rey said, pouring him some water.

"It makes me feel like I have one foot still in the grave," Ben said, and Rey sat down next to him and waited while he drank some water.

"Whatever it is, we can figure it out. And I won't let the Force take you back," Rey vowed. "I broke it once to get you back. I'll happily do it again."

She kissed his hand after that, and Ben couldn't help but smile and lean into her side. BB-8 made a rude comment and Rey just rolled her eyes and kissed Ben's cheek.

They would need to leave soon. Rey had commed Finn one morning and he announced that he and Poe wanted her to come look at the countryside of Naboo. Ben was hiding in the hallway and almost let out a snort, which Rey couldn't even be mad about, because she loved to know Ben was able to laugh.

"It's so nice here. It's a core world, so we won't be isolated, but we'll have some privacy here. We can have a normal life, just the four of us," Finn said.

"Four?" Rey asked, nervous. There was no way he could've seen Ben. And if he did, there was no way he'd be so ready to accept Ben living with them. Out of everyone in the Resistance, Rey figured either Finn or Poe would be the coldest to Ben.

"I, uh… I convinced Rose to come with us. She was so determined to stay and help pick up the pieces, but we talked about it and we all need some time. Especially me and her," Finn said. Rey beamed and clapped her hands.

"That's so wonderful, Finn! Honestly the best news you could've given me," Rey said, and Finn made a gesture to say it was no big deal.

"Come soon, okay? I'll send you the coordinates," Finn said. Rey bit the inside of her lip, and pulled on her hair nervously.

"I'll come tomorrow."

"That's perfect. I can't wait," Finn said, pumping his fist in victory. Before he ended the comm, he added, "Your hair looks nice when it's down. You seem really at peace."

He had no idea.

Ben stepped into the room once Finn had disappeared. He looked exactly how Rey felt.

"You're leaving tomorrow," Ben said.

"_We're_ leaving tomorrow," Rey responded without having to think. "Nothing can separate us. Not even being afraid of what will happen when everyone sees you," Rey said. Ben sat next to her on the bed and took her hand.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure it won't be easy right away, but it has to happen," Rey said.

"They hate me. I just don't want them to hate you," Ben said, and Rey bumped him with her shoulder.

"They won't. I promise. We had a nice week here, but it's time to move on. We have a whole life to live together, and figuring out what to do with the legacy of Kylo Ren is part of it," Rey said, and she frowned when she saw how Ben flinched at his old name.

"Maybe there isn't a place for me in the Galaxy," Ben said.

"Of course there is. No matter what happens, we'll be together. And, besides, your legacy doesn't have to be Kylo Ren. It could be Ben Solo, the man who helped save the Galaxy. Ben Solo, who ended a war his mother started. Ben Solo, a kind man," Rey said.

"I like that last one."

"It's my favorite, too."

"Maybe: Ben Solo, the undead," Ben said, and then he waited for Rey to laugh. Which she did, because he was Ben, half of her soul, and he was trying so hard to be funny, just for her.

It was a good start.

VIII

The last thing they did on Tatooine before they left the next morning was pay respects to the Skywalkers.

Ben knew that there were three Skywalkers and Lars laid to rest on the farm, and with Leia and Luke's lightsabers buried in the ground, that made a total of five to honor.

Owen and Beru, Ben's great-uncle and great-aunt, had never been properly buried. Their bodies just rotted away to dust in the desert. So Ben hunted through the farm until he found a slab of stone large enough for his idea.

Rey held her breath as he knelt next to BB-8.

"Would you be able to carve, 'Owen and Beru Lars, Together in this World and the Next'?" he asked. BB-8 looked at him for a few seconds before making a gentle noise of agreement and getting to work.

Rey wanted to cheer. If BB-8 could warm to him, that meant that everyone else could, too.

Shmi Skywalker had a proper grave on the farm, so Rey and Ben knew where to visit her. They debated over how to honor her before deciding to pour water over her grave.

"It's a tradition on Jakku, because water is so scarce. Giving some up for the dead is the ultimate sign of respect," Rey explained as she filled up a pitcher.

"How did you ever survive?" Ben asked, frowning.

"It wasn't easy. But somehow I made it," Rey said.

After they honored Shmi, BB-8 announced he was done engraving. They fixed the slab in the center of the courtyard, where it would be safest eroding in the desert.

Then came the hardest for Ben.

Luke and Leia.

"It feels like robbing a grave," Ben said as he and Rey knelt in the sand.

"Don't think of it like that. Think of it as receiving some heirlooms," Rey said, and made a dubious face at her.

"If you think they'd want me to have them, why bury them at all?"

"It was a nice gesture. And I wasn't completely sure I'd be able to bring you back. Which I did. So, now let's get you two family lightsabers," Rey said, pressing her hands into the sand. It began to part and shift, bringing to the surface both Luke and Leia's lightsabers.

Ben picked up his mother's first.

"So this is what it looked like," he said, admiring it in the early morning light.

"I think it's pretty," Rey said.

"My mom always made sure she was the best dressed person in the room. Everyone told me she got it from her mother."

Then he picked up Luke's saber, testing the balance.

"You looked good fighting with it," Rey said, and Ben couldn't stop the dorky smile that came over his face.

"I think I'll make this one my primary one. And then hold onto my mother's," Ben said, putting both in a bag he'd found inside the farm.

"I'm sure they're happy. Maybe they'll get to tell you that," Rey suggested, and Ben shrugged.

"Maybe the Force is going to blacklist both of us because we cheated it," Ben said.

"If it does that, I'd still think saving you was worth it."

IX

"I think the best plan is that you get off the ship first and warn them," Ben said, and Rey snorted from the pilot's chair.

"Why? Are you afraid they'll shoot you?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm worried about," Ben said, completely deadpan.

"Fine. Then I'll get out first. But I don't think warning them is going to help the situation at all," Rey said, adjusting her legs from their position over Ben's.

"Then what do think will?" Ben asked.

"Nothing. We just have to let them freak out and then I give them the full story. Starting with me admitting that I wanted to take your hand in the throne room," Rey said.

"I'm sure they'll hate that," Ben said.

"They will. But they'll get over it. And then they'll realize you're not Kylo Ren," Rey said, pulling her legs back from Ben and sitting properly. They were approaching Naboo and she took their ship out of hyperspace.

"This is it," Ben said as they cut through the atmosphere. They had put on the ship's automated landing sequence and were landing near the bay door. BB-8 was in front of them, though he had promised to let Rey explain everything before he could.

"We're going to be okay, Ben. We saved a Galaxy. We both died. You meeting my friends is hardly a challenge at this point," Rey said, even though Ben looked a little queasy.

"Speak for yourself," he mumbled, and Rey pulled him down to press their foreheads together.

"I love you, Ben. So much," Rey said, and she was met again with Ben's smile.

"I love you, too."

The ship landed and the bay door began opening.

Rey gave Ben a light kiss, and she was ready.

* * *

A/N: I feel like I need to start by saying I actually had a lot of fun with TROS. Genuinely. But, as is tradition, the urge to write a fic overcame me moments after the leaving the theatre.

This time it felt like a bit of a responsibility.

Rey deserved to find a happy ending and be loved by Ben Solo. So I'll give it to her.


	2. Part Two

I

Jakku had been a terrible place for a child. Rey had never known anything except heat and sand. She didn't remember the world she had lived on before her parents left her on Jakku. Maybe it was somewhere completely different. Maybe it was somewhere exactly the same.

But, as the bay door opened and Rey saw the green of Naboo and breathed in the cool air, she knew that she was never going back to Jakku.

Her friends were all waiting for her, but Finn stood ahead of everyone else.

The Naboo sunset kissed Rey's skin as she ran into Finn's open arms. He was smiling, with Poe and Rose standing behind him with matching expressions. Rey was so happy as he scooped her into a tight hug.

This was her family, her home. And Ben was going to be a part of it.

If she could stop Poe and Finn from killing him on sight.

"You're all sandy," Finn said, holding Rey at arm's length.

"Tatooine has that effect," Rey said, grinning. It had been less than two weeks, but she had missed him so much. Her first friend, her best friend.

"Well, don't keep her all to yourself!" Poe said, and then he and Rose were hugging Rey and laughing.

On Jakku, Rey had never imagined having so much love in her life. She had never imagined anything beyond what would come the next day or where she would find her next meal.

Ben deserved that kind of love, too.

"How was it?" Rose asked.

"Enlightening," Rey said carefully. "I got to close up a lot of loose ends."

"That's perfect. Now we can all just move forward," Poe said.

BB-8 had been silent, and Rey was endlessly thankful. But, she knew it was time. She knew Ben was panicking just out of sight, waiting for everything to go wrong.

Rey had pulled him back from the dead. She wasn't going to let anything happen to him. They were going to be happy. They deserved to be happy.

"There's something I need to tell all of you," Rey said, taking a step back. Everyone looked her expectedly, hopefully. Rey knew there wasn't a chance they could guess what was about to happen. She wouldn't believe it if she were them.

"Rey," Rose said, softly. She was standing closest to Rey, with a hand on her arm. Rey's heart was about to pound out of her chest, but that one gentle touch steadied her enough to find where to start.

"Ben Solo didn't drown in the Death Star ruins," Rey said.

"Okay?" Finn said, confused.

"He followed me to Exegol. And he fought by my side," Rey continued, trying to keep her voice strong.

"Excuse me?" Poe said.

"I know it's difficult to imagine, but remember everything that happened when I trained with Luke. We were connected across the Galaxy. We… we reached some sort of truce," Rey said. She knew she should tell them everything: they fell in love, they fought, they reconciled, they kissed, they died. But it was all so difficult, and all of her friends were in various shades of shock.

"Really? Then tell us: where's Kylo now?" Poe asked as he crossed his arms, his tone suggesting he had already figured out where this was going, and he wasn't happy about it.

"I'm here," Ben said, his voice echoing out of the ship. Everyone's heads snapped to the bay door, where Ben stood.

Rey could see how Ben was trying to be brave, to stand tall, but he was shrinking. He was trying to fold himself down, make himself someone less than Ben Solo, less than Kylo Ren. Someone that wouldn't hurt her friends. Someone that would never hurt her.

But Rey knew he would never hurt her.

It broke her heart to watch.

II

Ben Solo didn't remember what it was like to die. He remembered kissing Rey and falling to the ground, but the next thing he would remember was stars. He could feel the entire line of Jedi who had come before him, but quickly, he felt himself slipping deeper and deeper into the Force.

And he had stayed there, alone with his thoughts. Ben thought of his parents, his life, Rey. He hoped his sacrifice had been enough, that she would have a full life. Ben had loved her. He loved her more than life itself.

And then she had come for him.

Ben was alive, and he had never truly had friends. He had a family that loved him but kept him at an arm's length, and then he had the Knights, who he didn't consider friends at all. They were more or less tentative allies, ready to turn on each other at a moment's notice.

Which they had.

When he had fully joined Snoke and the First Order, he was officially on his own. Ben and Armitage Hux could hardly stand to be in the same room, let alone strike up a friendship. Phasma, wherever she had ended up, was too stoic for friendship. The officers and generals felt equal parts fear and suspicion toward Ben, and that didn't make for a solid friendship.

So Ben wasn't entirely sure how to approach Rey's friends. He would've had this problem just given his upbringing, but it all became more difficult when he remembered he tortured one, dueled another, and had never met the third.

Ben tried to shake off the remnants of Kylo Ren. He tried to be as unintimidating as possible.

Really, Ben didn't need Rey's friends to welcome him with open arms. He just needed them to not want to kill him.

That would be enough.

"What the _fuck _is he doing here?" Poe Dameron spat. Ben remembered what he had done to him, how he had ripped into his mind. The memory of it flashed into his mind and he was so ashamed he couldn't speak.

"I told you, we reached a truce," Rey said. The runaway Stormtrooper, Finn, was glaring at Ben, and he was reminded of one of his mother's favorite expressions: if looks could kill.

"What kind of truce could _possibly_ make you think it was okay to work with him?" Poe said.

"That's what a truce is!" Rey said, stepping protectively in line with Ben.

"Then why is he here?! The war is over! He can just run off and disappear to some nowhere corner of the Galaxy," Finn said, gesturing toward Ben, who took a step backwards into the ship.

"He saved my life! I would be dead if it wasn't for him!" Rey snapped back, and the image of Rey, cold and still, flashed in Ben's mind. He remembered the horror, the pain he felt. There hadn't been a moment of hesitation when he decided he would give his life to save her. Because she was everything to him.

She had saved him on the ruins of the Death Star. She had believed in him. She had just saved the Galaxy.

Rey needed to live. Ben did not.

Finn was about to say something, but Rose Tico put a hand on his arm and he stopped. Ben had never met Rose, but he had numerous intelligence reports on her. She had been on the First Order's radar after she and Finn had snuck onto the _Supremacy_ and disabled their tracking abilities.

"What do you mean he saved your life? You never told that to us," Rose said, and she looked straight at Ben. Her expression wasn't openly hostile like Finn and Poe's, more curious than anything. It occurred to Ben that out of everyone assembled in front of him, Rose was the only one Ben hadn't hurt in one way or another.

"It's a long story," Rey said.

"I'm not sure I want to hear it," Poe said.

"I… I know this is weird," Ben said, finally finding his voice. Everyone's attention went directly to him. "But, it's been a weird few weeks. I'm sorry for what I did to all of you. To everyone. I can try to fix it, if you'll let me."

It was silent after, with Finn looking quickly between Rey and Ben before saying, "No. You're kidding me right now."

"Wait," Poe said, pointing between Ben and Rey. "Is this-?"

"This isn't important!" Rey said, but even Ben could see a blush creeping up her neck.

"I think it's pretty important," Finn said, and Rey started pulling on her hair nervously. Ben knew that he was also blushing, but he felt so far removed from this conversation that he might as well have been hidden in the ship still. When he and Rey had discussed this moment, neither of them had anticipated everyone putting it _all _together.

"You know what?" Poe said, throwing up his hands. "I really don't care. But I don't trust him."

"Understandable," Ben said, and Poe glared.

"It's a long story, and I haven't told any of you some parts of it. I want to tell it to all of you. I promise, it will all make sense," Rey said. Everyone stared at each other for a long while. There were a few glances at Ben, who awkwardly shifted his weight between his feet. Even if he had felt brave enough to speak, he wasn't sure what he would say.

"It's late," Finn finally said. "Tomorrow. We can deal with this first thing tomorrow."

"Okay. That's fine. Where are we all staying?" Rey asked.

"We're staying in a lovely little cottage near the lake, but _he_ can stay on his father's ship," Poe said. Despite the clear cut, Ben's heart skipped.

The _Falcon_ was here.

He was going to spend the night in the _Falcon_.

As he and Rey moved their belongings from their small ship, Ben was practically skipping. It had been so long since he was in the ship for longer than a few stolen moments. Every day since he was a child, he had dreamed of piloting the ship. There wasn't a single hidden nook or trick panel he didn't know.

The Skywalker lightsaber had never been his birthright, not really.

That title belonged to the _Falcon_.

As Rey opened the ship, Ben was more nervous than he had been meeting Poe, Finn, and Rose.

It still smelled like his dad after all these years. Ben had taken his first steps in that ship. He had sat in Han's lap and pretended to pilot. Han had taught him how to play Sabacc in the common area, and Leia had braided his hair on the way to political events.

All of those memories rushed back to Ben at once, and he couldn't move beyond the entrance, even as Rey moved through the ship turning on the lights.

"Ben?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ben said, and he added, "I'm better than fine, actually. Everything… everything is finally okay."

"But they-"

"They didn't kill me, and they're going to hear you out tomorrow morning. I'm in the _Millenium Falcon_. We're alive and together," Ben said, and he took her hand.

And right before he kissed her and they went to find somewhere comfortable in the ship, he said, "I'm happy, Rey."

III

Naboo had longer nights than any planet Rey had ever stayed on, so she was disoriented when she woke up thinking she had overslept, only to discover the sun was barely rising.

So she settled back into Ben's arms and contemplated how to approach the delicate subject of redeemed Ben Solo with her friends.

Based on how yesterday had gone, there was no point in trying to hide what exactly she and Ben were to each other. Explaining the whole story might help that make sense, too. It had been so complicated.

They had been apart for a whole year. They only ever appeared in each other's dreams on occasion, and Rey had always shut Ben out before he could speak to her. And that entire time, she had been neutral when she, Poe, and Finn had discussed him. Only facts, no feelings. He was the Supreme Leader, he had taken the throne. Never that he had offered her his hand, never that she had wanted to take it.

Rey climbed out of bed and kissed Ben's cheek before going to get dressed. Now that she had become accustomed to wearing her hair down, she was able to get ready much faster. The entire time she was running over the story, to make sure she wouldn't forget any details.

The entire story mattered. The entire story would make them understand.

By the time Rey made her way to the cottage, the sun had broken the horizon, filling the sky with beautiful colors. Pink, gold, orange, and violet. It reminded her of how far she had come, of how different everyone in that cottage had made her life.

They were family. More family than her parents, more family than Palpatine.

Everyone was seated on a comfortable couch when Rey entered, and she took at seat at one across from everyone. There was a large breakfast on the table, and they all ate together, chatting about the finer details of Naboo weather and Resistance celebrations.

It was nice. It was normal.

And then Poe sat back in his chair, folded his hands over his stomach, and said, "Okay, tell us why the hell we should trust Kylo Ren."

Rey started at the beginning. Starkiller Base, when they looked into each other's minds. Ben had offered to be her teacher. She left him bleeding in the snow.

Then came Ahch-To, when Ben began appearing to her in visions, and she realized he wasn't a monster. She learned the truth of the night Ben had turned against Luke, and Ben had been there for her when loneliness threatened to drown her.

That's when it got complicated.

"Wait, you almost took his hand?" Finn asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"I said I wanted to take his hand, not that I almost did it," Rey said.

"That sounds pretty similar," Poe said.

"It isn't," Rey said.

"Okay Supreme Leader Palpatine," Poe said.

"It would've been Supreme Leader Rey, but that's really not the point here," Rey snapped.

"The point is that you two… had something. You knew there was still good in him," Rose said.

"Exactly. I knew that Ben Solo wasn't lost forever. Even when he took the throne, I knew. Ben saved my life, and he wanted to bring balance to the Galaxy together. I just couldn't go with him down the path he was taking," Rey explained.

"How romantic," Poe snorted before Finn elbowed him in the ribs.

"I ran him through with his own blade on the Death Star," Rey said.

"Yay," Poe said.

"Poe," Rose scolded.

"I gave part of my Force to save him."

"Not yay."

"Come _on_, Poe," Finn said.

Rey had made it to Exegol, and there was no way to properly explain what had happened.

Toward the end there was no way to explain it without choking back tears.

Rose moved her seat closer to Rey and hugged her. Poe and Finn both sat with matching looks of pity written across their faces.

"He was dead," Poe said.

"Like, really, really dead?" Finn asked. Rey nodded into Rose's shoulder, not wanting to lose the affection she was receiving.

"Then I assume you're about to tell us how you got him back," Poe said.

"Was it some weird Force magic?" Finn asked, and Rey nodded again. "I need to talk to you about that once we've settled all of this."

In the end, after Rey summarized the events on Tatooine, everyone sat in a stunned silence. It stretched for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Rey was used to silence. She had spent years and years in silence, but this kind of silence was new. It was one she needed someone, _any_ of them, to break. She was going to scream if someone didn't say anything. Even if it was saying that they needed Ben to leave, which by extension was asking Rey to leave. That was better than being trapped in a silent purgatory.

"This all seems very complicated," Poe sighed, at least.

"That's an understatement," Rose said, with her lips pursed.

Finn was silent, and Rey needed his thoughts the most. Her first and best friend. She wouldn't leave Finn for Ben and she wouldn't leave Ben for Finn. They were the two most important people in her life, her family.

"You know this will take a long time to get used to," Poe said.

"I wouldn't expect anything it to be quick," Rey said.

"You two seemed to get together pretty quick," Poe noted.

"I don't like this," Finn said, and the room was silent again.

Rey knew it was coming, but it hurt just as much to hear it.

"But, I have a feeling about this," Finn continued. "And it might be good. So… okay. I'm okay with Ky- Ben staying with us."

Rey could have cried.

She almost did.

IV

Poe and Ben were staring at each other in silence on the _Falcon_.

Poe had come in alone, maybe when Rey had been gone for two hours. Ben had been checking his favorite secret compartments to see if they had been cleared out when he heard footsteps. They were too heavy to be Rey's, but Ben forced himself to not be on guard. There was nothing to be afraid of. They were on Naboo, and the only person who knew he was there were Rey's friends.

Ben just hadn't expected Poe Dameron to be waiting to talk to him.

It was awkward. Ben was used to staring silently at people, but usually there was anger behind it. In fact, when he and Poe had last met like this, Ben had been ripping into his mind, stealing information he wanted.

Now, Ben was just figuring out what to say.

"Who talks f-?" he began to ask, and then Poe started laughing.

"This is _crazy_. You know this is crazy, right?" he asked.

"Of course I do," Ben said, startled. Poe kept laughing, It was warm, Poe was warm. Ben was realizing that even through the awkward air, Poe's laugh was making him feel warm, too. Welcome. Like he was at home.

Is this how Rey had felt, after being alone for her entire life?

"Do you remember me? At all?" Poe asked, leaning forward as his laughing died down.

"Of course I remember Jakku," Ben said, and Poe rolled his eyes.

"From before then."

Ben racked his mind for any time they could have crossed paths. The war had been long, and Ben had been all over the Galaxy for it. How many of Poe's friends had he killed? How many Finns and Roses? What was Ben's body count-

"I remember you. Baby you, actually. I must have been five or six, and you were this little toddler," Poe said, grinning.

"Excuse me?"

"Our parents were friends. Like, way back in the day. They were in the Rebellion together. And I remember when it was all done and your parents came to visit mine, and you came with them. You chewed on my toys," Poe said.

"Uh," Ben stammered. He reached back further in his mind, back to his earliest memories. And in the back of it, there was a small memory, almost forgotten.

Little Poe Dameron, with his model X-Wings, making fighter noises to make Ben laugh.

Holy _shit_. That might've been his oldest memory. Poe, right in plain sight the entire time.

"You _do_ remember that! I've been thinking about that ever since this war started. Like this guy behind the mask is that same baby I met?" Poe said, and there was a teasing air to his grin. Ben shifted in his seat.

"So you know me?" Ben asked.

"Of course I don't. I knew you as a baby and then I knew you when you were running off and committing war crimes. I knew Leia, and Leia loved you. And she always knew you would come back, so I've been preparing for this moment for a long time," Poe said.

"What moment?"

"The one where we become friends," Poe said, like it was obvious. He was smiling.

"What?"

"Your mom practically raised me. You think that I went all this time without wondering who you really are?"

"And who is that?"

"Ben. You ran around the Galaxy for ten years in the _stupidest_ helmet I can imagine, and now you flipped sides and are dating or married or _something_ to Rey. I think I have you pegged, Solo," Poe leaning, leaning back and looking positively smug.

Ben stared at him. "Poe, I… How can you even begin to forgive me?"

"I trusted the General about everything. And she forgave you. She never even thought there was anything to forgive. I didn't agree with her. Until now," Poe said.

He held out his hand, open and waiting.

Poe was warm. Poe was warm like the room of a home Ben was slowly being welcomed into.

Ben took his hand.

Ben Solo had never had friends before, but now he had one.

V

When Poe had left to privately speak to Ben, Finn had told Rey about his feeling.

"I wanted to tell you earlier, when we were sinking into the sand. I think… I think I can use the Force. What did Leia call it?" Finn said, looking to Rose.

"Force sensitive," Rose said, helpfully.

"Right. I'm Force sensitive. And I think that maybe… maybe I should figure that out more. With you," Finn said, and Rey's face broke into a smile.

"Of course," Rey said, throwing her arms around Finn. Luke had been right. He wasn't the last Jedi. Rey wasn't even the last Jedi. She thought it would be just herself and Ben.

But there was Finn. There was always Finn.

He said that he wasn't going to forgive Ben for what he had done. Finn had been a Stormtrooper, after all. It was personal to him. And Rey understood, but she appreciated more than anything how Finn said he would try, because Ben meant so much to Rey.

He had felt when Rey cracked the Force wide open to save Ben. He said it was like a deep pain in his bones, like they split from the inside.

But only for a moment.

It turned out, Poe could make a friend out of anything or anyone. Rey watched Poe and Ben together over the next few days as they toured the Naboo countryside. Rose and Finn were still dubious, but Poe always managed to ask for Ben's opinion and laugh at his jokes. At night, Ben would tell Rey about how he was trying _so hard_ not to mess it all up.

And Rey was happy.

With Ben and her friends, she felt whole.

This was belonging.

Naboo was wonderful. It was green and lush.

They stayed in a waterfront cottage one day, and everyone had gone swimming. Rey had only ever swam on Ahch-To, so she was unsure of why she could swim.

But she did. She swam in the sunlight. She got on Ben's shoulders and fought Rose as she was atop Finn's. There was laughter from everyone.

And, of course, Ben looked beautiful. Rey could hardly stop looking at him. She had broken the Force wide open for him, and she would do it again and again.

"I like it here," Rose said, floating next to Rey on a lounging chair in the water. "This house. It feels like a good fit."

Rey looked around at the sun, the water, and her friends. The house was lovely, but Rey didn't care one way or the other about the house. She had lived in a rotting AT-AT her whole life. Anywhere would be a better home than that, as long as she was with the people she loved.

"And… I like him," Rose said, nodding her head in Ben's direction. He was sitting with Poe as they floated on their backs and talked. Finn was next to them, still clearly apprehensive about Ben but making an effort.

"You do?" Rey asked, stunned.

"Yeah. He's not what I expected," Rose said.

"What were you expecting?"

"Less awkward, more mean. Less loving, more…"

"Evil?"

"Evil."

Rose floated in silence for a moment, and Rey was again struck by how brilliant Rose Tico was. She read Ben without having to have a meaningful one on one conversation with him. She kept her heart open and good, despite all the grief in her life.

"The hardest part about the war- well, really, my whole life- is believing that people are still good. So when you came back from Exegol, clearly grieving, I knew there was something about Ben that made you forgive him. He could've never shown up, and I still would've been willing to hear you out and give him a second chance."

"But he's here," Rey said, with a small smile.

"But he's here," Rose agreed, and she sipped the drink in her hand.

"I'm really glad you're here, Rose," Rey said. "I was worried that you'd stay behind with Connix and try to put together the pieces."

"I thought about it, I really did. But, before Paige died, we would always talk about what we'd do once the war was over. We were slaves and then we were soldiers, and all we wanted when it was over was to just enjoy life for the first time," Rose said.

Rey looked at Rose, illuminated and dazzling in the afternoon sun.

"Well, are you?"

Rose smiled.

"I really, really am."

VI

Rose Tico was nice to Ben. Poe was goofy, constantly teasing Ben with lighthearted jokes, but Rose was nice. She asked him questions that had nothing to do with the war and were much more than awkward small talk.

Ben supposed he had two friends.

He and Rey were staying in a suite on the top floor of the lake house, and Ben awoke to find Rey sitting on the balcony, wrapped up in his cloak to fight off the cool Naboo breeze.

"Everything okay?" he asked, and Rey smiled before making room for him on the bench she sat on.

"It's weird. This is where both of our families are from," Rey said, looking out into the night.

"Our grandparents worked together, for a while," Ben said. He remembered the histories his mother had taught him.

Queen, and later Senator, Padme Amidala: powerful, smart, clever. HIs grandmother. Died of complications in childbirth. One of the most beloved Queens on Naboo, a friend to humans and Gungans alike.

Emperor Palpatine, Darth Sideous. Rey's grandfather. His history was one Ben had become overly familiar with in the last few weeks.

"And then it all went wrong for the Galaxy, didn't it?" Rey said, and Ben just nodded. "At least we're trying to fix it."

"We killed Palpatine. I think we did a pretty good job at that," Ben said.

"Do really think it's all over, then?" Rey asked. "That we're done having to stop the Dark side?"

"You don't sound so sure," Ben said, and he could see the worry on Rey's face. She reached up and started playing with a piece of her hair. She leaned her head on Ben's shoulder as she kept worrying her hair. He had never imagined Rey being a person to fidget when she was nervous, but there was much to learn about her. Until then, they had barely had time to know each other.

"Leia said that the First Order rose from the ruins of the Empire. Kylo Ren came after Vader. Palpatine never really died. And that's not even thinking about any planets waging a civil war. Or some other threat that has nothing to do with the Jedi or the Sith. What if it isn't over?" Rey asked.

They were silent for a long while, just staring into the night.

Ben had learned histories that Rey would have never been to discover on Jakku. He knew about the history of the Old Republic, the tales of Jedi and Sith constantly at war. Luke had even told him the oldest histories, the ones of how the Galaxy came to be, how the Jedi and Sith were born.

He knew it would never end, not really.

"The Balance we created can last for a while. Maybe as long as we're alive. Longer," Ben said, rubbing his hand on her shoulder.

"But not forever," Rey said, her voice dripping with sadness.

"It never lasts forever."

"So this is just a cycle. The Force throws itself off balance and picks people to do its bidding and fix it," Rey said. "And this time, it was us."

"Honestly, I think it was worth it. All the pain, the suffering," Ben said. Rey sat up and stared at him in the Dark.

"How can you think that? After everything you've been through?"

"Because I'm here. I'm on Naboo, free and alive. I've made friends with Poe and Rose, and Finn is warming up to me," Ben said. And then he cupped Rey's cheek and said, "And I'm with you. After everything that happened, I met you."

"You're being a little dramatic," Rey said, but she was smiling. And she was still smiling when Ben kissed her.

Vll

Finn had as many problems with meditating as Rey did, and it didn't help that once they sat together to do so, they would start giggling and joking to the point where they'd give up for the day.

But still, Finn was Force sensitive, and Rey would help him learn to at least feel the Force around him. She tried to base what she told Finn around what both Luke and Leia had taught her, but she wasn't much of a teacher. All the children she had taught to scavenge on Jakku were like her, in the same situation as her, so teaching wasn't as hard. But Finn? They were best friends, family, and there was no sort of desperation to help him learn.

Rey tried as hard as she could to teach, and Finn tried as hard as he could to learn.

And then they would find Rose and Poe and Ben where they were playing sabacc, and they would join in.

What else was there to do?

They were heroes.

"Was Hux always so uptight?" Poe asked.

"Yes," Ben and Finn answered at the same time.

"He was a good spy while we had him," Rose said.

"Spy?" Ben asked.

"Oh! You hadn't heard," Poe said, grinning. "Hux was our mole."

"The First Order was his child," Ben said, confused. That's why he hated me so much when I took over."

"Well, that's why he flipped sides. He said he just wanted you to lose," Finn said.

"I don't blame him for that," Ben said.

"Me neither," Finn said, and they held eye contact. Rey froze, still unsure of how Ben and Finn could get along. They could sit in the same room and have a conversation, but they mostly politely avoided each other. Which Rey could deal with.

But they both burst out laughing. The serious air in the room was forced out by laughter, and Rey and Rose looked at each other. Rose was smiling and shrugged at Rey, and Rey knew it was because everything was already so strange. Why not have Ben and Finn laugh at Kylo Ren's expense?

Later, when Rey was walking out to the lake with Rose and Poe, she caught Finn and Ben sitting on a balcony, looking relaxed as they spoke.

Rey supposed that Finn believed in second chances, too.

VIII

Ben had convinced Finn to meditate with him. After listening to both Rey and FInn tell him about how they just couldn't take meditation seriously when they were together, and he offered to help.

Finn had kindly turned him down at first, probably hesitant to close his eyes around Ben. Rey told Ben not to take it personally, and he didn't.

But then, Finn had approached him himself. It had been a few weeks since everyone had taken up residence in the lake house, and Finn and Ben were finally at a good place. Not friends, exactly, just cohabitants. Acquaintances. It was still more than Ben had in so long. But, with that invitation to meditate, Ben was wondering if they could maybe be more.

Rey was over the moon when he told her. He knew that it bothered her that he and Finn weren't very friendly. She had told him as much, whenever she had caught them glaring at each other.

And now, Ben and Finn were sitting by the lake, silently, breathing.

At least until Finn said, "What am I supposed to be feeling?"

"Like… there's energy in the world around you?"

"What does that feel like?"

Ben sighed and opened his eyes. Finn was looking at him with a frown.

"Okay, you know those feelings you told Rey about?" Ben asked. "That's the Force speaking to you. This is like speaking back to it."

"That makes sense," Finn said, nodding and getting back into position. Ben followed suit and closed his eyes.

"I know you can do this. You kicked my ass on Starkiller base for a reason," Ben said, and FInn chuckled.

"Yeah, I did."

And Ben still had the scars to prove it.

Ben and Finn breathed in sync, and they both reached into the Force. Ben could feel Finn's mind brush against his, just for a moment, as they both reached out in opposite directions.

Ben was calm. He hadn't felt this kind of calm in years. He was with people he loved, he felt safe, and he knew that the Force was at peace.

_Ben_. It was Luke's voice in his mind. Ben would've jumped if he hadn't wanted to hear that voice for over a year.

_You sound well_, Ben said.

_I sound dead, but thank you_, Luke said, and Ben heard the smile in Luke's voice.

_I've been waiting to hear from you. I thought you'd be haunting me, honestly_.

_I thought about it, but Anakin talked me down. He said we should be helpful,_ Luke said.

_Some help you've been_, Ben said, and he made it clear to Luke that, yes, he was upset.

_We didn't speak to Rey, either_.

_You did when I was thrown into a pit_, Ben snarled, before catching himself. Ben wasn't a Jedi, so he didn't feel one way or the other about feeling and processing anger, but when he was so deep in the Force, he needed to be careful, lest he attract dead Sith lords.

_Ben, listen to me. The Jedi have never been the most helpful people in the world, and I won't pretend I am either. I'm sorry. But, I can be with you now, as you go through the rest of your life_, Luke sighed. He was dead and still sounded tired.

Ben was silent for a while, processing all of the hurt. Meeting Rey was the first time in his life that he ever felt loved, accepted, and happy. He never felt that with his parents, and he especially didn't feel it with Luke.

_Has Anakin ever spoken to me?_

Luke didn't answer, but Ben knew he was still with him. His silence said enough, so Ben said, _Then it really was Palpatine all along._

_Leia never wanted to speak to Anakin, so maybe he just didn't think it was his place to speak to you. _

_At least tell me Leia is with you. _

Ben could feel Luke smile, always the warm uncle.

_Of course she is. She's still figuring out how to communicate, but she's here. And she's so proud of you._

Ben came back to his body as a tear escaped his eye. Finn was looking at him strangely.

"That must've been a pretty intense session," he deadpanned. Ben wiped away the tear and steadied his breathing.

His mother was proud of him. He couldn't even remember the last time she said that, and he especially couldn't remember the last time he was proud of _himself_.

"Yeah, just a little. How, uh, how was yours?" Ben asked, too scatterbrained to speak properly.

"It was nice. I actually felt like I was reaching out for the first time," Finn said.

"That's great!"

"It is, and it's because you helped me. So, thank you," Finn said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Ben stammered.

"Look. When you showed up with Rey, I was mad. I didn't trust you at all," Finn said. "I mean, come on. I was a Stormtrooper. I lived in constant fear of you for a very long time."

"Sorry-"

"I'm not done. And then you kidnap Rey and kill Han Solo and well… you know it all. I didn't even trust Rey when she told how you two could connect through the Force. So to realize you two were… whatever you two are and to have to deal with the fact you're part of the group… I didn't like that. At all.

"But these last few weeks, you're actually not what I expected. And I just want to say… thanks. For saving Rey, and for helping me just now," Finn said with a small smile.

Ben didn't know what to say.

But, it was okay. Finn was a friend, just like Poe and Rose, and he knew that sometimes Ben wasn't able to find the words he needed.

IX

The comm came when they had been on Naboo for eight weeks. Rey knew this paradise would have to end eventually, but she wish it could have lasted longer.

The Republic had picked up the pieces and had worked with the Resistance to begin anew. They were picking a new world to call the capital, but more importantly, they needed leaders. And who better than the war heroes of the Resistance?

When they got the news, everyone was silent. Rey was panicking, but she was trying to remain calm.

"Maybe we could just give you a fake name? No one will know who you are, considering the mask," Rose suggested.

"I ran the First Order for a whole year without the mask. People will recognize Supreme Leader Ren," Ben said, glum. Rey took his hand and squeezed it.

"How about you just stay hidden? Like, not sequestered to an apartment hidden, but just always out of sight?" Finn asked.

"That could never work, we're all going to be under tight watch from the moment we arrive. Nothing we ever do will be private again," Poe sighed.

"I could stay here," Ben said. Rey's heart stopped.

"Absolutely not. I'm not leaving you here," Rey said, and her ears were ringing. "I didn't nearly kill myself in the Force saving you just to leave you behind."

Ben looked at Rey, and as usual, she was struck by him. She remembered when he first took off his mask, and he was nothing like she imagined. And now, he was her's. They had died for each other, saved each other.

"It won't be easy, but we'll just tell everyone what happened," Rey said. "It worked with everyone here, so why wouldn't it work for the Galaxy?"

"I've done too much evil for the Galaxy to ever forgive me," Ben sighed, and Rey cupped his face.

"Like I said, it won't be easy. But we have to try, Ben. Because the alternative is that I stay here with you, and that isn't an option," Rey said. Ben leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.

"Okay. Okay," Ben said, and he kissed her.

"Should we just-?" Poe asked, and when they broke apart, Rey saw Poe grinning at them in a way that made Ben blush.

"No, we're all leaving together," Rey said.

They spent the next few days packing and enjoying Naboo. On their final night, everyone fell asleep in a plush living room, Rey and Ben were cuddled close as Finn and Rose held hands. Poe was sprawled on the floor like he had been knocked unconscious, and Rey and Ben giggled over this as they snuck away to the highest balcony.

Rey breathed in the cool night air, knowing she would return one day. There was so much history there and it made her happy. Even as the Galaxy was reborn, this would be a place for Rey and Ben to run away, to hide out.

"This could all go wrong," Ben said, and Rey lovingly rolled her eyes at him.

"We can figure it out, no matter what," Rey said. "I promise."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, and Ben kissed her forehead. He was warm, and more than anything else, he felt like a home.

That moment felt like home. Rey and Ben, alone and staring into the night. Their friends were sleeping downstairs, waiting for the next great adventure to begin. The Galaxy was at peace, the Force was in balance. And Rey and Ben were in love.

No matter what came next, or where she would go in the Galaxy, Rey would carry this moment with her forever. She would always carry that piece of home.

It was what she had always wanted.

* * *

A/N: There's nothing wrong with a happy ending. Especially after everything that this group went through.

I hope this was happy enough for them.


End file.
